Always Save Her
by Lyrander
Summary: "Was he destined to always lose what he loved even if he did his damnedest to hold on?" Tony has the displeasure of meeting a fellow movie fanatic who has a very twisted idea of how to bond with him.
1. Prologue

**Okay folks.  
**

**This is a prologue.**

**It's a sequel to Fiction Into Reality, but this can be read separately. FIR is just basically a story of how Tony and Ziva came to be together, so if you want to get some back-story, you can go ahead and read that :)**

**But basically all you need to know is that Tony and Ziva are together. **

**_Disclaimer: Let's put a proper one at the beginning. _**_**I don**'**t own NCIS or any of its associated characters or intellectual properties.**_

* * *

_Hello, Tony. May I call you Tony? Oh I'm sure you don't mind. _

_You don't know me. But I know you. Extremely well, as a matter of fact. I feel as if there is a strong connection between the two of us. Like Tango and Cash or Riggs and Murtaugh. Unfortunately, we haven't had the pleasure of officially meeting yet, but I believe we could be great friends if I proved to you that I am worthy of your friendship. _

_You see, I know that you are a great agent, but I feel as if you haven't been given a proper opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities. I'm sure you would agree with me if I told you that you had the makings to be a terrific main character. I'm certain you have dreamed of being the hero in your own movie and that is why I am here. To give you that chance._

_Naturally, every hero must have a leading lady who in your case seems to be the lovely Ms. David. Right about now you're probably wondering where she is. Not to worry! She is perfectly safe. For now. _

_I do apologize, but what's a movie without some suspense and drama? Am I right?_

_That was rhetorical. Of course, a movie buff like you would agree. But I am getting off topic._

_Here's how it works. I will provide you with the general outline of your movie. You can call me…The Director. But I will give you some artistic freedom and let you play out the ending on your own._

_I'm sure you'd appreciate that. See, I can feel us becoming friends already!_

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm digressing again. But you of all people know how easily that can happen. Once one starts chattering away, it is hard to get back on track. But this is the last time._

_I'm sure you're simply dying with excitement to read the synopsis. I will not keep you waiting any longer. _

_Also, I feel like I should mention that I'm casting myself as the bad guy here because every great movie needs a good old-fashioned villain. But I'm sure you know I'm only trying to help you. _

_Anyway, here it is. Tadaa._

"_A dashing federal agent receives a mysterious letter one day. He discovers in horror that the woman he loves has been kidnapped and only he can save her. The villain has left him a series of clues for him to find. Can the courageous golden boy figure out what they mean before it's too late? Or will he suffer the same fate as many have before, destined to roam the world as a lone wolf?"_

_So, what do you think? It's good, right. I call dibs on the ownership rights! _

_Oh I'm just teasing. Of course we will share._

_Anyhow, I will leave you to it then._

_Oh. _

_I almost forgot. Your first clue. Silly me. You know how some things just fly right from your mind?_

_I knew you would._

_The first clue is in the letter._

* * *

**No, but seriously. What do you think?  
**

**Would you be interested in reading more?  
**


	2. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: Nope. Not Mine.**_

* * *

Three months. It had been three whole blissful months of his life with Ziva and now he couldn't believe he might not get more. Was he destined to always lose what he loved even if he did his damnedest to hold on? What had he done to deserve to lose the one thing he cared about the most the moment they were finally starting to gather some ground?

All because of who he was.

* * *

_1 day ago_

"Ziva, might I remind you that you were willing to have pizza every night." he yelled across his living room. "So, why is it so necessary to make our own food now?"

He felt her appear behind him and seductively slip her hands across his chest. "Because, my dear Tony, some of us are starting to wear more padding than usual." And patted his stomach.

Tony feigned horror. "Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No. I am saying you _will _be fat if you do not start eating a bit healthier" and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, I'm pretty confident that the two of us work off the extra calories just fine with our…extracurricular activities" he grinned.

She laughed and took the remote off his hand to shut the TV off. "Be that as it may, it is time to start looking after ourselves."

"But what about Joe? Maybe now he will think that something has happened to us. I mean, we order from him every weekend." he sulked and continued, "He lives on my weekly movie recommendations. Can't leave the man hanging, can I? Not everyone is as averse to movies as you are, my sexy bookworm." He smiled.

Ziva chuckled. "Tony I have nothing against movies. I am just not as obsessed as you are. I am sure Joe can live without you one weekend."

She stood up. "Besides, I am certain that my homemade chicken pasta will excite the taste buds a lot more than that pizza." And walked to the kitchen.

"You know what excites my taste buds?" Tony got off the couch, walking to Ziva, who was cutting the chicken and slipped his hands around her waist, breathing in her citrusy scent. "Kissing you."

He felt Ziva smile and tried to turn Ziva around to face him. "Tony. I have a knife." She giggled.

"I am well aware, you knife nut." And leaned in to whisper into her ear. "But you wouldn't stab me now that I'm about to rock your world, would you?"

Ziva put the knife down and slowly turned to him, placing her hands behind her on the counter. "Oh are you now? Quite confident of yourself, would you not say?"

"With reason." And leaned in to capture her lips in a not-so-gentle kiss. He pulled her closer and his tongue traced her lips, her mouth opening automatically. He lifted her on the counter, never once breaking contact. She pulled him closer by wrapping her legs behind him, hooking her arms behind his neck. She moved against him, making him moan. Electricity ran through him as she slipped her hands under his shirt, leaving scratch marks on his back. Tony smiled against her lips. Ziva had a particular…habit in bed and the one time he and McGee went to the gym together 2 weeks ago, the probie saw the marks on his back and Tony had to lie that he had gotten a cat.

Gibbs knew about them but they hadn't quite gotten around to telling McGee and Abby yet. Ziva had wanted to keep it private for the time being and he didn't particularly mind. Abby could get quite gossipy if she wanted to and they needed time to figure out exactly where they stood and whether this would actually work. But lately, he had been feeling like bringing up the subject of publicly telling everyone about them again with her. She seemed happier than she had had for months, years even, and she had spent almost every night at his place, making him feel all warm and fuzzy with her shuffling around his apartment so domestically.

Tony leaned his head against hers and nuzzled her nose. "Mm, vanilla and lemon."

"That sounds like dessert." She grinned and extracted herself from his limbs.

"Zeeevah, where are you going?" Tony complained.

Ziva went back to cutting the chicken and replied, "Tony, I am hungry. For actual food. And I could hear your stomach growl, so how about you go rent us a DVD while I cook dinner?"

Tony huffed. "Fine. Honestly, the things I do for you woman." And started going towards the door.

"But the dessert better be mind-blowing." He winked at her.

"When is it not" Ziva smirked.

Tony barked a laugh. "Very good point."

* * *

Tony got back about an hour ago, a delicious aroma coming from his apartment. "Mm, this smells divine."

Ziva smiled. "What on earth took you so long? The rental place is like 15 minutes away."

Tony went to get the plates out. "Oh" he shrugged. "Didn't realize it took that long. Me and Sam got into an argument over the best thrillers."

"Do you get into a long conversation about movies with every customer service person?" Ziva laughed, while pouring wine into the glasses.

"Hey, movies are great conversation openers." He defensively replied. "Do you know how awkward it is to just stand there, making small-talk about the weather?"

"No. I just buy my things and leave. Quietly." Ziva smirked.

"Okay well, not everyone is as allergic to social interaction as you are, shinobi." He went to grab her by the waist. "Movies just allow for a more natural conversation to ensue." He kissed her lightly. "Plus it gives me discounts at some places cause I'm known as the 'movie dude.'" He grinned.

"Well, I cannot argue with that." She chuckled.

"You know, you should try it. I've made lots of new friends that way." He suggested.

"No, I think I am good, Tony." And put her arms around his neck. "I already have the one best friend I need the most" kissing his nose.

Tony's heart swelled and he whispered, "Really?"

Ziva smiled. "Really." Pressing a gentle kiss on his lips, she left his arms to turn the stove off. "I mean, Abby is simply terrific. She is the epitome of a great friend." She grinned.

Tony frowned. "Heeey!"

Ziva laughed. "What?"

"I'm not your best friend?" Tony scowled.

"You are my boyfriend, Tony." She casually stated.

Tony's heart skipped a beat. They hadn't called themselves that yet. He knew they both _knew _that's what they were, but they hadn't actually uttered those words out loud.

Ziva noticed his silence. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Tony quickly went to reassure her. "No-no. I just…I've never actually heard you refer me as that."

"Well that is what we are, are we not? Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Ziva hesitantly asked.

"Yes, of course!" Tony went to grab her hands. "It's just nice to hear, that's all." He smiled.

Ziva took a breath. "You know, I have been thinking."

"Uh oh. That doesn't sound good." He laughed.

Ziva punched his shoulder. "Tony, I am serious. I have been thinking that um maybe we should officially tell everyone about us and you know um, come out as a full-fledged couple." She nervously stammered.

"I couldn't agree more." He simply stated.

"Really? You think so?" her eyes softened.

"Yeah, of course. I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone knows already, but I think it would mean a lot to them if we went and told them in person, instead of just simply assuming their knowledge about us. Even though, I don't think we've been doing as good a job hiding it as we think. According to Gibbs, we can be quite obvious." He said contemplatively.

"Oh. Well. Maybe we should host a dinner next Friday. That way everyone would be together in one place and it could be just like one big announcement." Ziva suggested.

"Yeah okay. Sounds good." He pulled Ziva closer to him and smirked. "Seems like we are getting quite serious."

Ziva snorted and rolled her eyes. "It has been 8 years, Tony. It is about time, I would say."

Tony laughed. "Quite right, sweetcheeks, quite right." He sighed. "Now how about that dinner?"

"Patience, Tony. It will be done in a minute." She walked over to the pot.

"I'm just craving for dessert already." He grinned.

"Tony." She warned but failed to keep her face serious.

"What? It's not my fault you're so damn addictive." He sat down on the chair.

"Well, unfortunately for you, you are going to face some withdrawal symptoms tonight, because I am not staying over."

Tony's head shot up. "What? Why not?"

Ziva huffed. "I told you last week. My landlord decided to do an inspection of the apartments, so I have to go there to be present."

"Oh right." Tony slumped in his chair. "I think my brain just decided to ignore that."

"Well, nevertheless, it is happening. Besides, you will see me first thing in the morning." She said and carried the pasta to the table.

"I know, but it is too long." He moaned.

"Tony. It is like 7 hours away. I am sure you can manage without me until then." She strongly maintained.

"If you say so. But you better make it up to me tomorrow." Tony let out a sigh.

Ziva stuck her tongue out and quirked her eyebrow. "You have no idea what I have in store for you."

Tony let out a strangled noise and started grinning. "Seriously Zi, how much dirtier can it get?"

Ziva's lips curved up in amusement and started shaking her head. "Oh Tony."

Yep. It's official. That woman was going to be the end of him.

* * *

**So, some fluff for you until things go a bit awry. **

**Thanks for all the follows and reviews!**

**Let me know what you think :)  
**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I am fairly certain you know I don't own NCIS.**_

* * *

Tony was sleepily getting ready for work when he realized how much he missed Ziva's company. He couldn't believe how dependent he had become on her in such a short time. He was, for the lack of a better word, completely and utterly whipped. But he couldn't care less about that. Maybe if he loved her less, he would feel a need to set some boundaries between them in order to not appear so needy, but he didn't care about appearances. Especially since he _was _reliant on Ziva.

Ever since he had gotten know what it felt like to have Ziva be completely _herself _around him, he had fallen in love with her even more. If that was even possible. She was just so...Ziva. He knew they were different on so many levels, but somehow all those differences made them click. They complemented each other and beneath all those dissimilarities, they found parallels that would connect them everlastingly.

Wow. He should become a poet. But Ziva would probably knock him out before he even finished the first line.

Speaking of the Warrior Princess, Tony wondered if he should pick her up before work. He went to her apartment, but no one seemed to be there when he knocked. They hadn't really talked about it last night, but he figured she just ran to work like she always did whenever she didn't stay the night at his place.

Hopefully, her staying at his apartment would soon become a permanent thing. It sounded desperate -probably because he was- but he didn't think he could stand another night without her.

It was a big step for them, but like Ziva had said yesterday, it's about time. Maybe they were ready for this. They spent pretty much every night together anyway.

That decided it. He would ask Ziva after work today.

Huh. Spending so much time with Ziva had really made him more prone to taking potentially life-threatening risks.

* * *

Arriving at work, Tony noticed the usually ever-so-early bird that was Ziva, was not yet sitting at her desk, scowling away at whatever was staring at her from her screen. He comically thought how many people she had probably mentally murdered in her head. She could be quite paradoxical with her patience levels. One moment, she would be scolding Tony for not being able to wait for the vending machine to give him his candy, and the next moment she would be gritting her teeth in frustration, threatening a printer that was having a mid-life crisis with its existence with a knife.

Just as Tony was sitting down behind the desk, the elevator dinged and his head shot up eagerly hoping to finally see Ziva. But instead, it was McGee.

"Oh it's just you." Tony slumped back in his chair.

"Try to sound more excited." The younger agent trotted to his chair.

"Sorry, Probie. I was just hoping for someone much prettier to arrive." Tony casually said, leaning back in his chair.

McGee scoffed. "How Ziva can stand being around you, I will never know." And went back to typing.

"What are you talking about? I'm a joy to be around."

"Oh yeah. You're a hoot, Tony" McGee sarcastically snorted.

Tony was about to retort, but he realized that Ziva was uncharacteristically late.

"Sorry, McGee. I'm just waiting for Ziva to come. I-I need to talk to her about something." Tony paused and asked. "Don't you think she should be here right now?"

Tim didn't seem to be too worried. "Maybe she slept in."

"You know Ziva. She never sleeps in." Tony countered. "Besides, I checked."

"First time for everything." McGee shrugged and continued working.

Tony mulled that over, but something still felt wrong. He could feel it in his bones. Call it the Gibbs-like gut feeling.

He was about to check his email to see if Ziva had sent him something, when he noticed an envelope lying on the corner of his desk.

He didn't remember that being in the pile of papers on Friday when he left. He went to open the envelope and what he read in that letter, he would remember for the rest of his life.

"What the-" Dread filled him and he could feel himself getting light-headed, spots filling his vision.

"DiNozzo." He heard Gibbs' voice somewhere like he was three rooms away. "What are you sitting there for? Dead marine, grab your gear." And started walking towards the elevator.

"I think Ziva's been kidnapped." He stated numbly.

Gibbs and McGee stopped dead in their tracks. "What?" they said in unison.

"I said," Tony coughed and raised his voice. "Ziva has been kidnapped."

Gibbs walked to his desk while McGee seemed to have been nailed to the floor, gaping at him.

"How do you know?" his boss asked him.

Tony didn't say anything, and handed him the letter instead. McGee who had finally managed to move, jogged to Gibbs' side and they both read it through, while Tony was just sitting there frozen.

Gibbs finished reading the letter, handing it to McGee. "Go. Give this to Abby and tell her to find whatever evidence she can on this." The younger agent nodded and quickly started running towards Abby's lab.

Meanwhile, Tony was still sitting there, unable to move, unable to think. What the hell had just happened? Was this for real? No, it must have been some cruel joke. He suddenly realized he hadn't tried Ziva's cell yet and quickly dialed her number.

"It's switched off." Tony started to panic.

"Are you sure she's not at your place or hers?" Gibbs calmly asked.

"I don't know. She wasn't at my apartment when I left. She didn't stay over because her landlord was doing inspections, so she went there. I haven't heard from her since." Tony rambled. "Damnit, why didn't I check she was alright?" He was gonna be sick.

"This is not the time to be self-deprecating, DiNozzo." Gibbs firmly stated. "Do you have any idea who could've done this?"

Tony had stood up and started pacing around the bullpen. "Apparently, some guy with serious boundary issues." He huffed and slowly started losing it. "Who kidnaps someone's girlfriend in order to become friends with them, huh? I mean, did he really think I wouldn't strangle him with a shoelace on the spot?" He went on and let out a snort. "On top of it all, who uses freaking Comic Sans? Seriously. If that is not a sign of instability, I don't know what is." He was almost yelling and started shaking his head, not managing to stop moving once he got started.

He could feel Gibbs' gaze on him, but he couldn't form any coherent sentences, trembling everywhere. He realized he was having a full on panic-attack, but what else did anyone expect him to do? Just be completely calm and rational when the love of his life was potentially lying in some ditch?

But that was what Ziva needed him to be, he realized. Despite the fact that he was going out of his mind, she needed him to be calm and collected in order for Tony to find her. She needed him to be the man that always saved her no matter the odds. And that was who he was going to be.

Come hell or high water, he was going to get her back.

Tony took a big breath and looked at Gibbs. "Let's go see what Abby has."

* * *

"Oh my God, Tony!" Abby screamed and ran to capture him in a hug. "I'm so sorry!" and leaned back, narrowing her eyes at him. "We will find her, okay? I promise! We are going to find that bastard who did this and nail him to a post." Abby stated. "Well, I mean. Obviously we can't do that, but if we could, that is totally what we would do." She quickly countered.

"I know, Abby." Tony smiled at her sadly. "Just tell me you've got something." He pleaded.

"Well. I swept both the envelope and the letter for fingerprints, but no luck there. He was probably using gloves." Abby frowned. "There were also no postmarks on the envelope which makes me think it was hand-delivered somehow or just stuffed between the regular mail for the mailman to deliver." She paused for a second. "I did find one weird thing, though. The letter is made out of parchment. I don't quite get the point of that." She knitted her eyebrows together. Abby let out a sigh. "I know it's not what any of us want to hear, but other than that, the letter itself is perfectly ordinary and run-of-the-mill with no outstanding characteristics. Ignoring the contents of course."

Tony felt like someone had punched him in the stomach and he needed to find something to lean on or otherwise he would collapse right on the spot.

"So we have nothing." Tony closed his eyes, feeling panic coming over him once again.

"Not necessarily." Abby assured. "I mean, the letter is addressed to you. Specifically. The Director, as he calls himself, says he knows you, Tony. But that you don't know him, so you must have had some remote contact with him. Do you know anyone who has been acting weird around you in any way?"

Tony thought it over. "No. I've barely been out with Ziva practically living at my place." he said, forgetting that his friends didn't know about their relationship.

McGee's eyes just about popped out and Abby squealed. "Ooh my God, Tony! Are you guys finally together? That is so great! I knew there was something going on between the two of you. You were always the perfect match. Both Timmy and I totally thought that." Abby rambled in happiness.

"Abby." Gibbs admonished.

"Right sorry. Wrong time to get excited." Abby apologized.

"It's okay, Abs. We were gonna tell you about us on Friday." He remembered, sadness seeping through him.

"You will get another chance, Tony. You will." Abby promised.

Tony attempted a smile, but failed at it miserably. He knew that failing Ziva wasn't an option. If that happened…If that happened, then everything would be over for him. For good this time. There was no coming out of that hollow bottomless pit. Not again. That he was sure of.

* * *

**Ookay, things are starting to pick up. **

**So, what did you think?**

**Thanks for all of your support again :)**


	4. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: These things are annoying, aren't they? One would think with certainty I don't own NCIS.**_

* * *

"Okay, so, it says the clue is in the letter." McGee tried to stay professional. "What does he mean by that? That the clue is in the text or that the letter _is _the clue?"

Tony had gained some semblance of calmness which had quickly started to wane after his contemplation of all the 'what-if' scenarios. What if he didn't make it in time? What if he pissed of the lunatic? What if the kidnapper killed her anyway just to live out some sick fantasy? What if she…died?

No. _Get a grip_, he firmly told himself. He couldn't think like that. If he did then he would probably have a complete nervous break-down. But trying to think rationally didn't come easily to him at the moment.

"I don't freaking know okay?!" he practically shouted. Abby cowered and McGee was struggling with his desire to take a small step back.

"Tony." Gibbs tried gently.

"No, okay? No. I do not _know._ I can barely stand up, let alone think straight." He felt the panic in his throat rise. "I don't have time to play Cluedo with this nutjob. All I want to do is find Ziva, fly her off to a remote island, kill this-this freaking sadist in the most unimaginably painful way and join her in the fortress I will build for her with dragons guarding it." He rambled.

Abby went to put her arms on his shoulders. "Tony. I know you are worried. We are _all _worried. But we need you right now. Ziva needs you. So take a deep zen breath" she imitated, "and tell us what you can deduct."

Tony ran fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. "I'm not Sherlock Holmes, Abby. I don't know how to deduct obvious facts from virtually invisible thin-." He suddenly clamped his mouth shut. Invisible. Of course! Why didn't he realize that sooner?

"Abby." He quickly turned on his heels. "You said the envelope was from parchment, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Which is really weird, because I mean, who uses parchment these days? Especially for a letter. A bit pretentious don't you-" Tony raised his voice. "Abs!"

"Right, sorry." She quickly apologized. "What are you thinking?"

"Well, this psycho is obviously a movie fan, isn't he? So, it would make sense some of his clues are from movies. And the thing with the parchment reminds me of _National Treasure_."

"Ooh. I saw that one!" Abby exclaimed. "Oh I see. You're thinking the thing with the lemon, right?"

Tony winked. "Exactly."

Gibbs frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Tony explained. "Well, in the movie they discovered a hidden clue from the parchment when they smeared it with lemon juice and heated it. Thus, revealing the concealed text. I'm hoping that's the case here as well."

They all waited in anticipation whilst Abby was working on the letter. And behold, it worked, exposing 3 sentences.

_Well done. I knew you could do it._

_158 Queen Street._

Tony felt a bit woozy again. "That's my place." He whispered.

Abby gasped. McGee and Gibbs exchanged looks when Tony all of a sudden realized, he finally had a lead to chase down, storming off towards the elevator.

"Well what are you waiting for?" he yelled across the hallway.

* * *

Tony all but broke eight traffic laws, trying to get to his apartment, almost taking the door off its hinges while he burst in, gun drawn.

He took in his living space, but everything was normal.

"Well?" Gibbs and McGee followed.

Tony went to the other rooms. "I don't…I don't know. Everything seems the same as when I left this morning."

"She's not here." Tony let out a frustrated sigh.

"Well, he sent us here for a reason. There must be something here. Another clue, perhaps." Gibbs tried to stay level-headed.

"What if she's dead, guys?" he whispered with his back on them. "What if this is just a wild goose chase we're on and it's already too late? That it has been too late this _whole time_?" His thoughts were once again spiraling out of control. He went down to sit on the couch because this was becoming all too much for him to handle sanely.

Gibbs came beside him and put a hand on his shoulder while McGee tried to look everything over once again. "Tony. You can't think like that." He sighed. "If you think she's already gone, then you won't be able to give your everything. And the possibility of her being alive is still there. Therefore, she needs your faith, Tony."

Tony leaned back on his sofa that he had shared with Ziva countless of nights and closed his eyes. He knew his boss was right, but it was just really hard for him to do. Worst case scenarios were spinning around his head, providing his mind with the most horrible images his tortured mind could come up with. He knew he should be able to put that aside and bring out the federal agent side in him, but when the one person you loved more than your own life was possibly dead, then being able to do that was a bit problematical.

But for once, he needed to stop thinking about himself and _his_ problems, and solely focus on Ziva. It was time to be cold and calculating, showing this deranged manic that you don't simply wreck Tony DiNozzo's whole life and get away with it without dire consequences.

Tony gave himself a moment and opened his eyes. He was about to get up to do another sweep of the apartment when he saw a light on his DVD player blinking. He bent down to make out what it was showing and saw that it had a movie in it. He took his remote and turned on his TV.

"What is it?" Gibbs and McGee wondered.

"It's the player. It has a DVD in it, but I took it out last night when we finished watching _The Usual Suspects _with Ziva." He frowned and pressed play.

* * *

Ziva woke up somewhere dark. Her head was pounding and she could feel herself lying flat on something cold and hard. She tried to move but her hands were bound together with rope.

She tried to calm down her erratic breathing and think of the last thing she remembered. She could recall leaving Tony's place around 12 but she doesn't think she got to her apartment before someone stabbed her with something sharp to knock her out. Probably an injection of some kind. Her head still felt fuzzy and buzzing from just waking up.

If only she could get her hands free. She wished to God, she still had her knife in the inner small pocket of her jeans, hoping her attacker was too dumb to rid her of things. Ziva tried to grope her back pockets and feel the knife's existence. Her wrists hurt from having been twisted in such an unnatural way, but luckily, the sharp object was still present. She grabbed the knife with her fingertips and started cutting away at the rope. It probably would have been difficult for anyone else, but her years in Mossad, had taught her to resist pain and assess the situation.

The rope finally gave way and she was able to rid her rists of it. She soothed her wrists when she suddenly realized that if her attacker didn't take the knife, her phone might also be still with her.

She went through her pockets and felt a surge of hope going through her, but she could feel it was completely smashed to pieces. Guess her attacker had enough smarts to cut her off from communication.

Her head started to clear up a bit and she decided to start groping around when all of a sudden, she became aware of the fact that she hardly had enough room to move. She tried to sit up but she could barely lift her head. She could move to the sides only a bit and there was not nearly enough room above her head.

That is when she was finally able to take in the situation.

She was buried.

* * *

**Dun dun.**

**So, this story is actually going in a different way than I had originally imagined, but I hope you still like it. **

**Thanks again for the reviews and follows :) **


	5. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: Not mine. We all know that. **_

* * *

Oh God.

"What is this, DiNozzo?" Gibbs enquired anxiously.

"_Buried_."

"What?" His boss didn't understand.

Tony sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's a movie called _Buried_." Tony was feeling too numb and too out of his mind to properly freak out. All of his nerve-endings felt like they were on fire. "I'm pretty sure it's a clue as to what happened to her." Tony just kept staring at the screen. "She's been buried somewhere. For God knows how long."

Gibbs and McGee just stood there unmoving for a while until Gibbs quietly spoke up. "Well, has he given any indication as to where exactly?"

Tony had already fast-forwarded the movie to the ending to see if anything had been manipulated with at first sight. There was nothing. He felt despair taking hold of his heart again. "No."

But then he realized his earlier promise to fight. "Okay, there is nothing in the movie, but there must be something else in the apartment. He always gives clues. That's the whole point of this sick game. For me to be able to save Ziva." He turned to look McGee and Gibbs. "Look around the kitchen and the living room. I'll go check the bedroom to see if he's left something here." Both of the men nodded and Tony stood up to go to the other room.

He was trying to keep his mind solely on finding Ziva, refusing to think of anything else. He'd done plenty of that already and if he started again, he didn't think he could stop the downward spiral.

He went to his bedroom, looking through the closets and shelves, finding nothing. He even looked under the bed. He was about to leave the room when he noticed the DVD case of_ Buried_ on his nightstand. He must have been in his room. Tony started feeling sick again.

He took the case and opened it to see a note attached to the inside.

_This time for your eyes only, Tony._

_You must be pretty worried about Ziva upon seeing this. But don't worry! She has plenty of air and if everything goes according to the script, she should be perfectly fine. _

_However, that depends on your abilities to act. _

_You cannot tell your co__-workers about this note. Otherwise, your dear Ziva will pay the price. And I would truly hate for something to happen to her. _

_Get rid of them and figure out the last clue. I think it's time for us to have an official meeting, don't you?_

_You know, to exchange some thoughts and ideas._

_I remember you saying your favourite movie was 'Psycho'._

Tony's stomach dropped. He knew who it was.

He took a deep breath and exited the room. "Have you found anything?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No. Everything seems in place. It's your apartment, but nothing out of the ordinary sticks out.

Tony nodded and tried his best to keep up the act. "I didn't find anything either. I think this place needs to be swept for fingerprints. He could have been careless. I checked the lock, it seems to have been tampered with, but maybe he left something else behind that could help us identify him. You guys should stay here and I'll go take a look at Ziva's apartment." Tony prayed his all-seeing boss wouldn't see through him this time.

Gibbs eyed him warily for a minute before giving a sharp nod. "Okay, but you give us a call the second you sense something suspicious. I won't have two of my agents go missing." He looked at him sternly.

"Yeah, will do, Boss." And left the apartment.

He felt relieved that he didn't have to drag his team into this mess. But he was dreading what was coming next.

He only hoped to God, Ziva could hold on long enough for him to find her.

* * *

Ziva felt herself starting to panic. This was something Mossad hadn't trained her for. Even they weren't that cruel to bury someone alive in a wooden box.

Ziva had made many enemies in her lifetime, but she had no idea who could have put her in this hole. Her enemies would have been more straightforward than that. Bullet between her eyes and it would have been done with. She supposed she might have made someone angry enough to torture her like this, but even so, those people would have wanted to actually _see _and hear Ziva in pain rather than letting her rot, rather anonymously, in a box.

Ziva huffed in frustration. She hated not knowing all the facts. She had no idea who had done this or for what reason, no idea how long she had been here or whether someone knew she was missing.

One thing she was sure of. If someone would find her, it was Tony. He'd always had an uncanny ability to find her in even the most dire circumstances. The only problem was that she didn't know if he had already started looking for her. She supposed it was morning already, so her team must have noticed her not being at work. But since she had no idea who had put her here, she also didn't know if they had given anyone any instructions to find her. Or if she had been left to her own devices to rot away.

She tried to take a deep breath to calm herself down, but noticed it was not easy to do since there was not much oxygen left for long anymore. She felt tears pricking in her eyes because the desperation was getting to her. If no one found her, she would die here. She would never hear Abby squeal or Tim chattering away about computer stuff she could hardly understand or Gibbs head-slapping someone, ever again.

Most importantly though, she would never see Tony again. Tony who had made her feel appreciated and loved which is all she had ever wanted. She hated admitting it, but in all honesty, in the beginning, she wasn't entirely sure they would be able to make their relationship work. She truly believed she wasn't cut out for it.

She had never been much of a romantic, but deep down, all-consuming love was something she had always hoped to discover. To find someone that you never ever wanted to leave. In simple terms, because you couldn't. The need to be around that person would have been just too strong.

But she had always put up a front like she didn't care about these things. Because acknowledging the truth would have torn her apart and she was too proud to admit her weaknesses. The ugly truth was that even if that person existed for Ziva, she didn't believe he could ever love her back simply because of who she was. She wasn't an easy person to love. Too many things she had experience had made her too closed-up and careful to let anyone fully in.

However, Tony had proved her wrong. He loved her not despite of her flaws but because of them. He didn't make her feel like her loving him would somehow make him tainted. He had showed her that love was not something she should be scared of if it was with the right person. And Tony most definitely was the right one. He was the one she had been subtly looking for all her life.

And that was the reason she couldn't let him suffer if something happened to her. She knew Tony and he would be blaming himself for her death until he died and she didn't want this to destroy him.

She had utter faith in Tony that he would be able to find her, but in case her attacker had not been kind enough to point Tony in the right direction, she had to make sure this wouldn't be the end of her. She owed it to Tony.

She needed to figure a way out of this. She didn't know how deep in the ground she was buried which proved to be the biggest obstacle. But since she had no way of finding it out, she had to take a chance. She tried pressing on the coffin lid to see if it would give a little. As luck would have it buckled slightly. Not enough to shove it off, but enough to make Ziva understand that at least she wasn't buried 20 feet deep.

The first thing she had to do was relax. Panicking would make her use up her oxygen quicker and she was short of it already.

Next thing she did was attempting to pull her shirt up over her head but she realized she still had her jacket on. She started yanking it of when she suddenly felt a piece of paper sticking out of her pocket. She couldn't see what it said due to the pitch-black darkness but figured it was important for later, on the off-chance she ever got out of here. She stuffed the note in the back-pocket of her pants and shimmied out of the jacket.

She had a red cardigan underneath that Tony loved so much. Ziva lightly chuckled at the memory of Tony being so utterly enamored whenever she wore red, yet being so frustrated with the buttons because apparently it was too much work to get her clothes off.

He had always been a bit impatient. Except when it came to her. How long he had waited for her should be a testament to that.

She took her hands out of the sleeves and pulled the garment over her head. She tried to work with what little room she had and in the dark, bound the sleeves together and tied the bottom of the shirt in a knot.

She placed her head through the neck hole, hoping this contraption will prevent her from suffocating on the loose dirt.

Now came the hard part. She could feel herself wanting to panic because the situation was too much even for her. But it was time to bring out the old Ziva. The one who was too stubborn to acknowledge the presence of fear.

She hoped this was a cheap coffin which would make the breaking of the lid a lot easier. She started kicking the lid to make a crack through which the dirt could flow in. Luckily the lid gave way and she tried to break apart it even more with her hands. When the dirt started rushing into the coffin, she tried as quickly and calmly as she could to shove the dirt to the sides with her hands and feet.

The scent of freshly plowed mud filled her nostrils and she thanked her luck that the soil wasn't wet as it would have made the ground a lot heavier, making the escape nearly impossible.

She had packed in as much dirt as she could around her without losing her ability to move which meant that now came the time to try to stand up. She felt herself shaking, but she couldn't focus on her utter terror.

She attempted to get her head near the breach, still shoving the loosely falling earth to the previously occupied space. She used all her strength to stand up with the help of her arms, letting the soil fall away around her and hopefully pushing some out of the grave.

All she now had to do was wish she hadn't been buried deeper than 6 feet. If that was the case, she would suffocate then and there.

Here goes everything.

* * *

**Sorry guys for not updating so long, but I just haven't been feeling this fic for some reason. I've been more excited about the AU fic, but I am going to finish this though. **

**Anyway, I hope you liked it :)**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: It's been long, but we know it's not mine.**_

* * *

Tony couldn't believe it was Sam. He had been such a good friend to him over the years. They had had long conversations about their lives and he had been the one person Tony thought he could trust outside of work. Why he would have wanted to hurt Tony in such a psychotic way was perplexing. Not to mention the fact that the man really didn't seem like he belonged in a looney bin. It made Tony question his ability to read people because if he had been wrong about Sam, what else could he be wrong about?

All he had to hope for was that he would tell Tony where Ziva was buried and not play out some fanatical movie scenario where one of the lovers dies. That was just something he couldn't face. The guilt and misery would eat him alive, inside and out.

He reached the rental place but the door was locked, blinds pulled in front. He went to try the back door which was luckily open. He walked in, gun drawn, trying to ascertain if any kind of surprises were waiting for him. The whole place looked dim and eerily quiet. He moved carefully between the shelves of DVDs, trying not make a sound.

When he was starting to reach the front of the store, he could make out a shadow sitting at the front desk.

"Sam?" Tony coldly questioned.

"Tony? Oh thank God!" Sam exclaimed shakily.

Well that didn't sound like the voice of someone who was in control of the situation. As Tony got closer to him, he could see the older man shaking in sheer terror.

"What are you doing here? You need to get out of here now and get help! Billy has gone completely insane. He hit me-" Sam suddenly stopped and looked right past Tony.

"Hello, Tony." said a distant figure in the shadows of the shelves.

Tony turned to look a tall man, probably in his thirties, pointing a gun at him.

"Glad we could finally meet." He smiled crookedly. "Since I seem to have the upper hand here, I will kindly ask you to lower your gun and kick it towards me. We wouldn't want to have us a shoot-out here, would we?"

"Wha-Where is Ziva?" Tony stuttered, not lowering his gun.

The scrawny-looking man took a few steps closer and shook his head. "Don't worry, Tony. She's perfectly fine. I never had the intention of hurting her."

"Yeah, cause burying her six feet deep is just the perfect display of kindheartedness." He couldn't help but snigger at the man who took the one thing that mattered to Tony the most and now forced him to just stand there and have a little tête-à-tête.

"No need to be snarky here." The man in question frowned. "Although, it is one of the things that I admire about you." He said thoughtfully. "The fact that you hide your fear behind sarcasm and jokes, yet always manage to pull through for your friends."

"What on earth are you talking about? I don't even know you." Tony was starting to get fed up with this.

"I know you don't. You should, though." He raised his eyebrow at Tony. "I have been working here as an assistant for a couple of years now. But you never see me because you are always so enraptured in your stories that you share with Sam. I have always eavesdropped on those a bit. I do apologize, I didn't mean to be discourteous, I just find you so fascinating. And Sam always talks so fondly of you."

Tony couldn't believe his ears. He had a stalker. A full-fledged crazed stalker. He turned his head a bit to look at Sam who was visibly shaking. "Tony, I'm so sorry, I didn't kn-"

"Sam!" Billy suddenly barked loudly, almost making Tony flinch which he managed to suppress. "Don't you know it's rude to interrupt? Tony and I are having a private conversation here." He admonished the older man, but seemed to have lost a bit of his controlled composition.

Tony was feeling exasperated, because the more time passed, the smaller was the chance that Ziva would get out of this alive. Not to mention Sam who still seemed to be strapped to a chair with duct tape.

He tried to make Billy focus on him again. "You're right. This is between you and I, so how about you let Sam go, huh? That way no one will bother us again and we can hatch things out on our own."

"Unfortunately, I can't do that, Tony. Sam is very much part of the plot." Billy said wistfully and started pacing around the store, still pointing a gun at Tony.

"Then, pray-tell, what, exactly, do you want from me?" he growled and gripped his gun tighter.

Billy stopped pacing and sighed, looking at him with a strange expression. "I want you to realize that we are alike. That we are brothers in arms. That I am just trying to help you."

"Okay, first of all, we are nothing alike. Secondly, not that I was questioning it before, but you have completely lost your marbles, haven't you? How could you think that kidnapping my girlfriend and burying her alive would help me? Or that pointing a gun at your boss would somehow please me? If you knew me at all, you would know that these are big no-no's for me." Tony raised his voice, letting sarcasm seep through his every word.

"Tony. I realize my methods are a bit…unconventional, but you will see. This situation will help you appreciate her better." He paused and added quietly. "And it will assist you in making a decision, you or Ziva, probably would have to make one time or another in your professional life, now that you, both, are in a relationship with your partner."

Tony narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You will see. Not to worry." Billy smiled at him once again, making Tony want to wipe that stupid smirk off his face already.

"And in the meanwhile, you expect me to just sit here in the dark, waiting for your insipid plan to work out?"

Billy looked at his watch and slowly started moving towards Tony. "Not exactly. Now is the time, I would actually like you to lower your gun and give it to me, please."

Tony couldn't help but snort. "Fat chance of that happening."

"Tony. I will point my gun straight to Sam and I have had military training, so I am a good shot. I do not wish for anyone to get hurt." Billy looked at him straight in the eye and turned his gun towards Sam, giving Tony no other choice but to do as he wished, if he did not want an innocent by-stander to get hurt.

Slowly, he lowered his hand, dropped the gun and kicked it towards Billy. "Thank you." He smiled and continued. "Now is time for your first decision."

"And what is that?" Tony asked, fearing his answer.

"I want you to choose. What you failed to notice about dear old Sam here, is the fact that he is not simply tied up. He is actually wearing an explosive vest and that yours truly is holding a remote to it." Tony could feel the fear starting to bubble in him once again. Sam didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve being caught up in this psycho's insane plan he had cooked up. And neither did Ziva.

"So here's the decision you have to make. You can either choose to save Sam." He paused for dramatic effect, clearly, "Or you can choose to save Ziva."

Tony gulped. "Wha-What do you mean? I thought that me saving Ziva was the whole focus of this-this thing."

"It was. Well it is." He corrected himself. "But I want you to make a conscious choice between an innocent by-stander and the woman you love. Here's the thing. If you choose to save Ziva, I will give you her location and you can run off and call the cavalry to get her. However, unfortunately, this would mean that poor Sam here will be pink mist. Not to mention anyone else in the vicinity. You won't have time to call anyone because you and I will be leaving this place together and I doubt you would want to do anything that would jeopardize Ziva's well-being even more." Billy explained, eerily calm.

"And what if I choose to save Sam?" Tony asked, feeling fear weaving through his whole being.

Tony saw Billy give him a toothy grin. "If you choose to save Sam, I will switch off the bomb, long enough for him to be able to take it off and give it to you. However, that means, you won't be able to get to Ziva. As I told you before, I have no intention of hurting her, so in theory, she should have more than enough ways to get out on her own, given her skill-set. But as you know, these things aren't foolproof. So, it's a risk you'll have to take. Naturally, I don't want you to get hurt either, so once enough time has passed I will let someone know your whereabouts and the bomb squad will be here in no time."

Tony was starting to feel dizzy. This was too much information and too much pressure all at once. Yes, he was a federal agent and supposedly used to these kinds of situations, but he hoped this particular scenario, was something he would never have to face. Having to choose between his love and an innocent civilian, was too hard of a decision for him to make.

If he chose Ziva, then Sam would most definitely die. There would be no way he could save him with Billy trailing next to him and if he tried anything, Ziva might die in the process as well. There was no use risking more lives. But if he simply let Sam die, then he would never get rid of the guilt. Not to mention the fact that Ziva would probably feel the guilt even more strongly because despite popular belief, she is adamant that no one should die because of her. She might even end up despising Tony for choosing to save her instead of Sam as he would have forced her to live with the knowledge that someone got killed because of Tony's love for her.

However, if he chose Sam, then there was a great possibility Ziva would die. Tony couldn't be sure if Billy actually told the truth about her possibly getting out. Besides, how could anyone dig themselves out from a grave? Of course, if there was one person who could do it, it would most likely be Ziva. Her skill-set was unbelievable. Tony both admired and feared her for it.

But could he truly live with himself if that wasn't the case? Obviously the remorse would be great if Sam died, but he could go on, eventually. He didn't think he could do it if it was Ziva instead. Naturally he would try, but he knew, deep down in his heart, that the simple act of living without her would become too much for him sooner or later. She had become so ingrained in his life and his soul. Not only with the time they had been together these past months, but also with the 8 years of tumultuous friendship they have had.

It's a bit astonishing what they have been through. Relationships between people have been broken by a lot less, so it is perhaps a true testament to the simple fact that they cannot get rid of each other despite what life may throw at them.

His shoulders slumped. He was so tired from all of this. He just wanted Ziva. He wanted to go home and feel her curl up next him, knowing that it wouldn't be the last time he would get to hold her.

Suddenly, he felt all of the pent up frustration, rage and fear coming to surface and all he really wanted to do was beat the crap out of the sneering man before him.

"So, what's it going to be? Will you be the honorable impartial federal agent or will you succumb to the temptation to sacrifice someone else to save your soul mate?" Billy raised an eyebrow at him.

Tony took a deep breath, having made his decision, and took a step towards Billy, not wanting to let him think he was the least bit of threatening.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he taunted him.

* * *

***whistles* dumdidum.  
**

**Two things. Firstly, sorry for the cliffhanger! Again :D Secondly, I'm sooo sorry for not updating sooner. Like seriously, you have no idea how sorry I am. But I told you I haven't abandoned it and here I am, still writing it :) And hopefully the next chapter will come sooner as I have some of it written already.**

**But seriously, thank you for all of your reviews and follows, they are literally the motivation behind this. I don't think I would have managed to gather enough strength to finish it otherwise, so I am eternally grateful for it to you :)**

**Anyway, I'm actually fairly satisfied with this chapter and I truly hope you are too, so let me know :)**


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